Eminem on New Album, Life: "Mentally, I'm Back"

Rapper Eminem talks about his new album, "Recovery," and what made him realize that he needed to take control of his life and get sober. (Published Tuesday, March 4, 2014)

Slim Shady's recovery is for real.

Eminem dominated the Grammy nominations Wednesday night as the Recording Academy tabbed the resurgent rapper for 10 awards, including the biggest prizes: album, song, and record of the year. The nominations set the stage for a comeback culmination at the Feb. 13 awards show in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old Detroit rapper's dark duet with Rihanna, "Love the Way You Lie" was tabbed for song of the year and his album "Recovery" could become his fifth album of the year.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, had recorded and performed sporadically since 2005, when he entered rehab for what he called a dependence on sleep medication. In 2009, he stoked speculation of a comeback album which he initially called "Relapse: Refill," then "Relapse 2."

"As I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album," Eminem said on his website in announcing the eventual title, "Recovery." The name change, along with songs such as "I'm Not Afraid" and the anti-domestic violence anthem with Rihanna jibe with increasing public statements that he sees himself as more grounded than in the past.

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Still, Eminem faces stiff competition for the coveted awards. Bruno Mars was not far behind with seven nominations, and Lady Antebellum, Jay-Z and Lady Gaga all had six each.

"It's just been a great year, incredible, incredible year, and I can't believe this is happening to me," said Mars, who was also nominated for best male pop vocal for his own hit, "Just the Way You Are."

"We've worked so hard trying to make a living doing music and the fact that we're here right now is incredible, incredible," he added, speaking from Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, where the nominations were announced as part of an hourlong live special on CBS.